Leadership Team

Arun Kumar is the Company’s Founder and Promoter Director. Arun is a first-generation entrepreneur with an illustrious track record of pursuing “difficult to operate” domains with high scarcity value. Effective April 5, 2025, Arun has transitioned as Non-Executive Chairperson on the Board of Strides.

Arun founded the Company in 1990 and has since led the Company in establishing a global reputation with a differentiated business model and delivering value to its stakeholders, including distribution of the most extensive dividend by a pharmaceutical company in India.

Arun was awarded the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year for the Healthcare industry in 2000. In 2014, he also received the “India’s Best CEO Award (Mid-Sized Companies Category)” and “Best CEO in the Pharma and Healthcare Industry” from Business Today.

Badree Komandur holds a degree in Commerce from the University of Madras and is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

Badree has over 28 years of rich and comprehensive experience in Corporate Finance & Taxation, Treasury, Forex Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Debt Syndication & Management, Fund Raising, Governance and Investor Relations Management, amongst others.

Badree is associated with Strides since February 2010 and before joining Strides, he had over 15 years of experience working in varied sectors including Information Technology and Engineering.

During his tenure at Strides, he has handled key management portfolios and has played an influential role in implementing Company’s strategies. He has also led the finance function and provided stewardship in Corporate Finance & Taxation, Treasury, Forex Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Debt Syndication & Management, Fund Raising, Governance, and Investor Relations Management, amongst others.

He has also played an instrumental role in driving global compliances, risk management and govern overall financial discipline in the system.

He also oversees the Information Technology and Global Centre of Excellence functions. Recently, Badree also took up additional responsibilities of heading Human Resources & Administration functions globally.

Aditya Arun Kumar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences from Newcastle University and a Master of Research in Biophysics from Kings College, London.

Aditya started his career with Strides as a Management Trainee and since then held multiple positions in Strides and Family Office prior to his current role.

Aditya has over 10 years of experience in the pharma industry predominantly in Business Development roles. Before heading the B2B business for Strides, he was also responsible for integrating two acquired consumer divisions.

From 2017-2022, Aditya led the business of a promoter-funded pharmaceutical start-up that is the second such technology platform that can develop and manufacture oral lyophilisates.

Aditya has been leading the global partnered business at Strides since June 2022. In this role, he has been instrumental in adding new customers across geographies enabling growth and sustainability. The business under his leadership has grown in size and scale.

Ramaraju is Chief Operating Officer of Strides Pharma, holds a master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and has vast experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

With over a decade-long tenure at Strides, he has held various leadership roles within the organization. His leadership approach is characterized by strategic foresight, collaborative synergy, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

A dynamic and results-oriented executive, Ramaraju has a proven history of spearheading operational strategies that drive business expansion and efficiency. With over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, he excels in developing and implementing innovative solutions that streamline operations, enhance productivity, and yield outstanding outcomes. In his role at Strides, Ramaraju assumes responsibility for overseeing the entirety of Global Operations.

Umesh Kale has over 24 years of experience in the Pharma industry and is currently responsible for the quality governance of the entire organization, including subsidiaries.

Umesh specializes in Qualification, Process Validation, Aseptic Processing, QMS and Automation. Prior to joining Strides, he worked with organizations like Nicholas Piramal, FDC, Lupin, Dr. Reddy’s and Ranbaxy.

He has handled various regulatory and customer inspections and has successfully led many international regulatory audits like USFDA, UK-MHRA, WHO, SA-MCC, Brazil-Anvisa, TGA Australia, EU & other regulatory agencies.Umesh has completed M.Pharm (gold medalist) from SGS Institute of Technology and Science, Indore.

Vikesh Kuma holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from S.P Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai.

Vikesh has over 15 years of rich and comprehensive experience in Business Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Treasury, Forex Management, Fund Raising, Governance and Investor Relations Management, amongst others.

Vikesh is associated with Strides since June 2009.

During his tenure at Strides, he has built and led the business finance function for the group, building it as the nerve centre of the organization, partnering business and functional heads in executing the company’s plans.

He also has played lead roles in Mergers & Acquisitions, Governance, Fund Raising, Treasury, Forex Management and Investor Relations Management, amongst others.

Prior to his appointment as CFO for the Front-End businesses in May 2022, Vikesh was the Head of Business Finance for the group. In his role as the CFO for the Front-End businesses, he relocated to the US in August 2023, to drive the reset strategy in the geography with focus on building profitable, sustainable cash generating operations.

As part of the leadership team in the US, he led the revival of Chestnut Ridge manufacturing operations and enabled the company to set industry leading benchmarks in the Front-End operations.

Nandini Matiyani is the Executive Vice President- Human Resources at Strides Pharma Science Limited., bringing over two decades of experience in driving people strategy, leadership development, cultural transformation, and workforce capability building across global enterprises. She has led HR for complex, multinational environments, shaping high‑performance cultures and enabling organizational growth through strategic HR leadership, digital transformation, and data‑driven talent practices.

Prior to joining Strides, Nandini held senior HR leadership roles at RateGain, Wipro, and OnMobile Global, where she led global HR business partnering, talent management, leadership hiring, and cultural transformation initiatives across diverse markets. At Strides, she leads the global people agenda across operations around the world, reinforcing culture, strengthening capabilities, and supporting the company’s mission of making high‑quality, accessible healthcare a reality worldwide.

Nandini holds a B.Tech in Electronics & Communication Engineering from NIT Surat and a Diploma in International Business from the Symbiosis Institute of Foreign Trade, Pune.

Peter Hardwick is the Chief Executive Officer – North America at Strides Pharma Science Limited, with responsibility for the United States and Canada businesses, spanning both front-end and B2B operations.

Peter brings over 30 years of senior leadership experience across sales, marketing, portfolio management, and general management within the global pharmaceutical industry. He has held leadership roles across the United States, Canada, LATAM, and other international markets, with extensive experience in full P&L management and building scalable, high-performing organizations.

Prior to joining Strides, Peter held multiple senior leadership roles at Apotex Inc. Most recently, he served in dual capacities as President and CEO of Apotex Corp (US Generics) and Chief Commercial Officer for Apotex’s Global Generics division, a role he held until August 2023.

Across his career, Peter has led large-scale commercial transformations, strengthened portfolio and pricing discipline, driven customer-centric growth strategies, and built high-performing teams across developed and emerging markets.

In recognition of his contributions to the pharmaceutical industry, Peter was awarded the Distinguished Associate of the Year Award in 2016 by the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS), an honor conferred on one individual annually in Canada.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Mary’s University, Halifax, and has completed several executive and professional development programs in Europe and North America.

At Strides, Peter is focused on driving sustainable growth, strengthening execution excellence, and building a resilient, customer-focused organization across the North America region, one of the company’s most strategically important markets.
 

Sormistha Ghosh serves as the Group General Counsel, Chief Risk Officer and Sustainability Officer at Strides Pharma Science Limited. Since joining Strides in 2016, she has been instrumental in shaping the company’s global legal & compliance frameworks, strengthening governance standards, managing risks and supporting business strategy. Over the years, she has additionally taken up roles in driving risk and sustainability strategy and driving culture change in the organization.

With over 27 years of professional experience, Sormistha has a rich background spanning leading Indian law firms and multinational corporations such as 3M, Dell, and Schneider Electric. As Group General Counsel, she oversees global legal and compliance matters, leads governance initiatives, and advises on strategic corporate actions. In her role as Chief Risk Officer, she has established and operationalized Strides’ Enterprise Risk Management framework, ensuring proactive identification and mitigation of key business risks.

As Chief Sustainability Officer, Sormistha leads the company’s ESG agenda—strategizing and coordinating initiatives that embed sustainability into Strides’ business culture and operations. Her efforts have strengthened ESG performance and enhanced transparency across global platforms.

Sormistha holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Delhi, along with a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Media from New Delhi Polytechnic for Women. She has also completed the Leadership Impact & Women Leadership Program at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

Amol Mehta currently serves as Chief Executive Officer, Other Regulated Markets at Strides, where he leads commercial operations across the UK, Nordics, South Africa, the Europe B2B segment, Australia (CDMO), and BeltaPharm, driving growth and execution in these strategic regions.

With 24 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry, Amol has held leadership roles at organisations like Reliance (Dorf Ketal), Nicholas Piramal, Emcure to name a few. He has built a strong track record of operational excellence, cross-functional leadership, and high-impact delivery across global markets.

After returning to Strides in 2022, Amol has played a pivotal role in shaping and expanding the company’s Non-US front-end business, helping scale its presence in competitive and complex regulatory environments. His strategic foresight and execution focus continue to strengthen the organisation’s global footprint.

A Chemical Engineer from MS University and an MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB). Amol has also pursued executive certification programmes from IIM Ahmedabad and LSE.

He is collaborative, results-driven leader with a passion for sustainable growth and long-term value creation. Outside work, Amol enjoys travel, cricket, and badminton.

Manjula Ramamurthy is the Company Secretary and Compliance Officer at Strides Pharma Science Limited, bringing over 25 years of corporate experience, including more than 15 years in leading compliance and corporate secretarial functions.  A seasoned governance professional, she oversees corporate law compliance across Strides and its 30+ subsidiaries in India and overseas, ensuring robust adherence to regulatory frameworks, corporate governance standards and ethical business practices.

Having been an integral part of the Strides Group for over two decades, Manjula has played a pivotal role in several strategic corporate actions and restructuring initiatives. Her expertise spans mergers, demergers, cross-border acquisitions, divestments, and large-scale fundraising, contributing to Strides’ growth and transformation over the years.

Manjula is a Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and holds a Master’s in Business Law from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and a Graduate degree in Arts from Osmania University. She is also a Certified Corporate Director and holds professional certifications in Corporate Governance and POSH Compliance.